Strait of Hormuz|The strategic strait of Hormuz in Pars Sea,Persian gulf, gulf. arabian gulf, The strategic strait of Hormuz in Persian Gulf Writer: Rozbeh Parsapoor Translate by: Yasaman Gholami One of the most important international straits of the world is strategic Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the most vital traffic straits of the world. Iran is the controller of this strait. Therefore, it enhances the military force of the country. Iran is a pacifistic country, although, the western countries and their allies in the Middle East did a lot of inhuman things but Iran never used the option of closing the Hormuz strait. There are more than 100 straits between oceans and canals in the entire world which their width is below 40 kilometers (25 miles).

If somebody rates them based on the number of ships, economic excellence, geographic vulnerability and military usefulness, the top five straits which are the gates of Middle East and north of Africa are: Hormuz strait in the south of Iran, strait of Gibraltar, Bosporus strait, Dardanelles in Turkey and Babb-el-Mandeb strait. Hormuz strait is a curved beam sea that separates the Iranian plateau from the Arabian Peninsula, and it connects the Persian Gulf to the sea of Oman and Indian Ocean. This strait is a trough from the third period of geological, which cuts along of the mountains of south of Iran to the Musandam peninsula. There is no special criterion for identify the length of Hormuz strait but maybe the maritime boundary between Iran and Oman be the best criterion for this. The length of this boundary line is 202.1 kilometers (124.8 nautical miles).

The longest distance of Strait of Hormuz is 84 kilometers (from the shore of Bandar-Abbas in the north to the northeast place of shore of Musandam in the south), and the shortest distance is estimated 33.6 kilometers (between Iranian island, Lark in the north and the Oman island, Alsalame, or in other words, greater Quwian island in the south). The sea bed in the Hormuz strait is a high steep from the north to the south. In recent decades, because of using the heavy oil tankers, these tankers just are able to transport in the deepest part of this strait in the Musandam shores but in the past, the way of oil tanker ships in the Hormuz strait was between lesser Quwain and rocky shores of the Musandam Island until 1979. In this year, the Oman government announced to the international maritime consulting organization (IMCO), that this government cannot guarantee the safety of the ships which are passing the distance between the lesser Quwain Island and the rocks of Musandam Island anymore.

They demanded to recognition shipping route from the north of Alsalame Island to the Iran maritime borders, then they considered two parallel shipping routes for the oil tankers in the north and south, between Quwain Island (greater and lesser) and the border between Iran and Oman. Origins of the name of Hormuz strait Because of dominance of Iranians generally Middle East and the west of Asia in the past, this strait (Hormuz), has a Persian name, as well as the Persian Gulf. In fact, all the countries that nowadays are existed in this region are the result of colonialism of the England government. There are three ways to investigate the origins of the name of Hormuz strait. First of all, the ancient people made the name Hormuz, from the name of Persian God, Ahura-Mazda. In Iranian ancient religious, Ahura-Mazda is also known as Ohrmazda, Aramazd, Hourmazd or Ahuramazda. In the second possibility, in the Sassanid Empire, the name of kings who made a business center from the Persian Gulf was Hormuz, and because of this reason, they named this strait after their names.

And the third possibility is maybe they named this strategic strait because of the city near it was named Hormuz. The remains of that ancient city still exist in the Hormuzgan province. However, most of the experts believe that this nomination is because of the vicinity of this strait to the Hormuz city. Nevertheless, Hormuz is also the name of five Sassanid kings (224-652 A.C) which are as follows: King Hormuz I (273- 274 A.C) was son of King Shapour I. King Hormuz II (303-310 A.C) was the 8th Sassanid king and also known as Narseh. King Hormuz III (457-459 A.C) was the son of Yazdgerd II, and he was the 17th king of Sassanid Empire. The King Hormuz IV (579-590 A.C) was the 24th king of Sassanid empire and the King Hormuz V (632 A.C) was the 31yh king of this Empire.

Geo-strategic of Strait of Hormuz The length of this strait is about 100 nautical miles (182 kilometers) and in the shorten part its width is about 21 nautical miles. This strain is between the Iranian island, Lark and the Oman Island, greater Quwain. The Hormuz strain located between the Iran (in north) and Musandam peninsula of Oman (in south). Both governments of Iran and Oman clam that they got 12 nautical miles of the ownership the Hormuz strait. The land conflicts are because of the short width in the shorten part of the strait which is about 21 miles. In the beaches of Iran, the depth of Hormuz strait is lesser in the beach sides of Iran. Iran has six strategic Island (Hormuz, Lark, Queshm, Hengam, lesser Tunb, greater Tunb and Abu Musa.) are located in the entrance of Oman sea to the Persian Gulf. They are shaped like an arc, and they are known as Iranian defensive arc against the possible aggressions.

The Hormuz island which is located in Hormuz strait is a geopolitical and geo-economical place, which in the Achaemenian empire era (330-550 BCE) was a site navigation (Eghtedari, 1344- 45) and in the time of occupation of south of Iran by Portugal, They used this island to connect the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean. In the 18 and 19 century, the Hormuz island was the cross way to transport the spice from the Calicut port of India to the Europe. (The geography and national strategies of Iran- Dr. Masoome Taheri Moosavi, page 148). Iran has the dominance of Persian Gulf, and this country has the most borders with this sea and also Iran has thousand years of maritime history, so Iran always wants safety and security in this high strategic region. However, the great source of energy in the Persian Gulf is the supply center for Europe and American countries, and if this source be cut, they would be defeated.

So the newly established countries which are opportunistic and warrior, want to make this region insecure and have the domination of the countries of the south of Persian Gulf, in order to find a place to this Iranian region. Patrick Cluase, the researcher of middle East issues in the near east Institute of Washington, pointed to this issue in a press conference: The Hormuz strait is a cross way for transporting about 40 percent of the oil of the world and if this strait be closed for a long time, the international economy would be failed.( Fars News, the news number 8503190083). All the economic and military experts of Persian Gulf in the world are agreed that the Hormuz strait has geographical importance for the entire world, because it is the transport bottleneck of the oil of the world. The Persian Gulf countries, i.e. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and United Arabic Emirates exported 18 million and 200 thousand barrels of oil per day, in 2006, and 17 million barrels of this were transported from Hormuz strait to the international markets. This is the fifth of world oil consumption.

These countries have 728 billion oil barrels' storage, and they have 55 percent of the oil of the world and also more than 5.3 billion cubic feet of natural gas will be transferred by the gas tankers from this strait to the Asia, Europe and North America. Hormuz strait is important for Iran and Iran has a border with Oman in this strait, so Iranian government called Oman as a friend country in all the times. For example, we can mention to the sending military forces and equipments to the Dhofar region in Oman in 1975. Dhofar rebellious was supported by communist ideas of China and Iraq, after reconciliation between Iran and China in 1973 and also Iran and Iraq in 1975, this rebellious was ended by the cooperation of Iran’s government (Mojtahedzade-1380-26). In the beginning of the 10th century, the King Ismail I formed the central government in Iran, that was a start to end the Portuguese colonialism in the Persian Gulf.

The great King Abbas in a partnership with England's navy could defeat the Portuguese at the Persian Gulf in the 1030 A.C and send them out of the Hormuz island in 1031 A.C. thus, the Hormuz Island and strait and the whole Persian Gulf return to its owner after a period of European occupation. Iran is the greatest and most powerful country in the Persian Gulf. It has the largest geographical range protective stance in the region, and for this reasons Hormuz strait has a great importance. In fact, it is a gateway connection for Iran to connect to the area and the world. Based on the article 38 of United Nations convention on the law of the sea (1982) an international strait is a sea crossing, which connected a part of open sea to an exclusive and economic zone. Hormuz strait is very important for European and American countries. Thus, the Hormuz strait of Iran is a part of this law. So in order to national interests of the countries of these area warships, submarines and plains can travel in this area freely. The military control of this area is by both Iran and Oman.

Even so, Oman is a small, 2 parted country, and it doesn’t own any suitable natural area in the Hormuz strait, so it cannot have any major role, and Iran has more control in this area. Because it has most of the borders, and for all this reasons this strait was an Iranian strait in all the history. Unfortunately, although a lot of international documents for Iran’s historical and natural rights in this sea, opportunist country, such as United States, British colonial and France, always tried to undermine the lawful rights of Iran in Persian Gulf, and they also try to stimulate the southern countries of the area. For example, the Iranian civilian plane was shot down by US navy and killed all 290 innocence men and women and children who were its passengers. Unfortunately, this violation was directly the consequent on open sea law in Persian Gulf. According to this law, all the militant countries have the rights of ancient and native nations.

Furthermore, the presence of these countries on the geopolitical region of Persian Gulf, leads Americans to full support the Sadam Hosain's dictatorship in Iraq in order to support him to attack to Iran and killing more than 500 thousands of Iranian citizens during the war or continuing interference in the domestic affairs of the countries of the Middle East. These countries are trying to undermine the lawful rights of Iran in the Persian Gulf and be presented there forever. So Iranian that their country should do their best to watching the borders of the country in the Persian Gulf and using the updated military technology to defense against the countries who abandoned their seas in order to come to this region interfering and stimulating the other countries of this region. Apart from inhuman issues and wars of attrition and killing the innocent people which are the consequences of these kinds of countries in the region, the appearance of these countries in the religion also leads to Pars sea ecosystem degradation.

For example, the fifth American navy which was resided in Bahrain, in the end of 1387 announced that one of the submarines of this country(USS Hotfford), and one of the American warships( USS Neworlian) had an accident in Hormuz strait, and this caused more than 95 thousands liter of diesel fuel was entered to this water of Hormuz strait. Case Study I. CASE BACKGROUND 1. Abstract The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea and has been the focus of potential conflict between competing regional and international powers. The straits are strategically important and represents one of the nine major water chokepoints in the world, being only 50km wide at its shortest point. For this reason it is of great strategic importance, as it is the only sea route where oil from Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, as well as most of the United Arab Emirates can be transported from. Much of this oil is transported to Japan, Western Europe, and the United States who have a vital interest in securing free passage through this strait. The potential for conflict over these straits and the resources that traverse them are great.

The anti-western regimes of Iran and Iraq oppose the United States presence within the Persian Gulf and the security support that the US provides for many of the Gulf states. If war were to break out in this region oil would certainly be used as a weapon, and the enviornmental consequences could be disastrous. There would be serious threats to local water supplies, marine life, and the economies of these nations. Containing conflict within this vital area has been a goal of all of the actors involved, and so far they have been successful in avoiding a major incident. 2. Description The Straits in Global Context > The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and represents one of the world's most important oil chokepoints with approximately 14 million barrels per day(b/d) of oil being exported. The countries of Oman, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates border the straits and each plays a large part in fostering a secure enviornment around the Straits. Oman and the UAE are supported by the United States who guarantees their security by keeping a naval carrier task force in the Persian Gulf area. The US also supplies them with most of their arms purchases including advanced fighter aircraft like the F-15 and F-16..

Iran, however, is an Islamic regime opposed to the United States presence in the middle of Arab and Muslim territory. It is also believed by the US and its allies within the Gulf that Iran harbors hegemonic aspirations concerning the Straits and the large amount of oil that passes through it. Iran has acquired submarines form Russia, Chinese missile boats and anti-ship missiles, and sea mines capable of blockading the Straits. Therefore, the potential for conflict over this vital waterway remains an area of concern for all of the parties involved. Oil is the world's primary source of energy and will continue to be for the forseeable future. The world's demand for oil will continue to rise as developing nations, such as China, and industrialized ones increase their use of oil. The future, free access to this waterway is vital due to the fact that 66 percent of the world's oil reserves reside in the Arabian Gulf region and presently there are few options for exporting this oil out of the region beside the Straits. Only two pipelines exist in Saudi Arabia capable of transporting oil.

It is on this vital waterway then that the US receives 12% of its oil and Western Europe and Japan get 25 to 66% of their oil respectively. In addition 15% of the world's commerce is routed through Hormuz and any aggression by Iran or any other nation would disrupt a large portion of the world's economy. As the need for energy grows several factors could effect the availability of energy supplies from this region. First among these is the competition among neighboring countries over existing, new, or anticipated energy resources which may heighten tensions. Secondly, increased concentration of oil production within this region and the decreasing capacity of OPEC to control pricing and production quotas may threaten the stability of some of the regional economies who rely solely on oil revenues. Among the primary actors bordering the Strait(Oman, UAE, Iran) there are also regional problems, the primary one being the dispute over Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunb islands at the mouth of the Straits. Iran seized the three islands in November 1971 with military forces and continued mediation, by such nations as Oman, has so far failed to bring about a peaceful settlement.

Most of the Arab community backs the UAE, and while hostilities have not yet erupted, the potential that an armed conflict could erupt are quite possible. This area then represents a very crucial yet potentially unstable region in the world community. Since the Strait of Hormuz represents a majotr oil transit point if a war were to erupt the enviornmental damage caused by oil spills would be catastrophic to the natural marine life as well as the economies of the nations wihtin this region. The Consequences of Conflict The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf that it connects to is a diverse marine enviornment. Many species of fish, turtles, and marine vegetation, some on the CITES endangered list, call this fragile enviornment home. Regional instability as well as international tensions threaten this enviornment with disastrous consequences. The effects of a major oil spill especially in the Straits, which is the only entrance to the Persian Gulf, could permanently damage this ecosystem irrecoverably. Regional actors as well as international powers like the US, Japan, and Western Europe have a stake in maintaining stability and by doing so in protecting the enviornment. While the main focus is on oil, protection of this area also helps preserve crucial fishing areas.

In addition the Gulf is a major source of drinking water for the millions of inhabitants of this region through the use of desalinization plants. Any contamination of this water would represent a majot threat to the well being of the local populations. While oil represents a major potential threat to the enviornmant it has already affected the area significantly. During the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980's two million barrels were spilled into the Gulf. This has affected some of the 3,650 species, 50 of which are on the IUCN Red List, as well as critical marine habitats such as coastal marshes, mudflats, coral reefs, and seagrass beds found throughout the Gulf. Species include various kinds of whales, dolphins, turtles, and birds each affected by oil in different ways. Their habitats such as seagrass beds and coral reefs can be destroyed if exposed to large amounts of pollution. This would undoubtedly affect the human population, especially concerning fish, shrimp, and plankton hatcheries, directly influencing the capacity of the Gulf to provide food. Both human and animal populations would be affected by any long term damage to the enviornment.

The Straits of Hormuz and the waters of the Gulf are home to a variety of species(some pictured above) including green and hawksbill turtles, dugongs, finless porpoise, gold lipped pearl oysters, and a medley of birds including the Dalmatian pelican, pygmy cormorant, and the lesser white footed goose. Their fragile habitats also exist within these waters and any change to them would severely affect the population size of some of these species. If a major enviornmental disaster would occur it could kill vital sea beds which dugongs, turtles, fish, and shrimp rely on for food. If this food source were to be diminished it would have an impact on the 1 to 2 million birds who winter or migrate in this region every year as well as other animals that rely on these species for food. If the marine enviornment were to be affected food for the human population would also be affected. If these waters were to be polluted the drinking water for many of this regions nations would be effected. One can see then the negative cyclical impact on affecting the marine enviornment.

Stability and prevention of pollution then is vital not only to marine life, but also to the millions of inhabitants who rely on these waters for their food and livelihood. Methods of Prevention The key to preventing an ecological disaster is to diffuse regional and international tensions that may cause an enviornmental mishap. There are several methods that could be utilized for this purpose. The first and perhaps the most simple is to find an alternate transportation route for oil to get out of the Gulf. This would significantly reduce tensions over the Strait of Hormuz as its global, strategic signifigance would be reduced. The most obvious route for Western powers would be a pipeline through Saudi Arabia, a nation friendly to the US. Any new pipelines, like the two already in existence, would traverse Saudi Arabia and exit at the Red Sea where it could be loaded onto tankers. While this would reduce the threat of the Straits as a chokepoint, it is unpopular with many of the Gulf states. If a pipeline were built it would benefit Saudi Arabia, forcing other nations to pay transit fees for their oil to be shipped via pipeline. Most nations are content with the staus quo until the time when a serious threat may force them to seek other options.

A second method of preventing a regional conflict is for the front-line states, mainly the UAE, Oman, and Iran to settle their disputes. Oman has historically sought good relations with the UAE and has even tried to mediate its island dispute with Iran. Oman has also had a pragmatic policy toward Iran maintaining good relations with this sometimes "radical" state despite the fact many of its Gulf neighbors have severed relations, a primary example being the Iran-Iraq war between 1980 and 1988. the UAE's only immediate dispute is over the three siezed islands which it maintains are legally theirs. The country has been willing to negotiate with Iran over their return to calm any Iranian security fears. Iran has long sought to be a power within the region dating back to the days of the Shah(1955-1979). It's hegemonic ambitions have forced its neighbors to spend heavily on defense and to rely on the US for security. A reduction in forces by the US would cetainly calm Iranian fears of a US intervention, but with the present atmosphere in the region this is not a short term option.

These three countries then must find areas of mutual interest from which to build confidence so that disputes, such as the one over Abu Musa and the Tunbs can be settled. Until these disputes can be settled and relations are improved among these countries as well as internationally the possibility of conflict over the Straits of Hormuz looms. The ecological balance of the region would be seriously harmed if any type of conflict were to take place. A large and diverse group of species thrives within these waters and any type of conflict would threaten their chance of survival. Human populations too are threatened as witnessed when a barge carrying diesel fuel ran aground spilling fuel into the water. This forced a desalinization plant in the UAE to shut down proving how vulnerable and important the enviornment and its natural resources are. An ecological disaster in this region would have far reaching consequences affecting vital coastal and marine enviornments as well as human populations that rely on them to provide food and resources. Migratory patterns of birds, whales, and other animals would be affected. Some species like the green and hawksbill turtle might be killed off completley if their habitats are overrun by an oil spill. Many fish populations would be reduced if an oil spill were to occur.

This would adversely affect the human population in the area. The UAE, Oman, and Iran are not self-sufficient in food production and any deterioration in the marine enviornment would squeeze these countries food supply further. It is important then for conflict prevention in this region not only among the regional states, but also by the international community who relies on this regions oil to fuel its societies. The Strait of Hormuz then is an area where both human and animal needs are protected if conflict is avoided. If the struggle for resources and power results in conflict it may destroy the marine enviornment as well as the nations who rely on it for resources. If it is protected it continues to be an area of diversity that can support the region as it grows. 3. Duration: 1950's to Present 4. Location 6. Type of Environmental Problem: Pollution Sea 7. Type of Habitat: Ocean 8. Act and Harm Sites: Commons v Commons Any interdiction of the oil supply or a disruption of this supply would affect the international community. Not only would regional states be affected economically and enviornmentally, internationally commerce would be severely affected as alternate energy sources would have to be exploited or usage cut back.

Any aggressive move therefore by a regional or international actor would have serious consequences for all the other actors involved. Either causing enviornmental, economic, or military damage. Combinations of Act and Harm Sites Site of Act 12. Enviornment-Conflict Link and Dynamic: Indirect Causal Diagram The causal loop pictured above shows the cyclical impact of conflict within the Strait of Hormuz. By competing for increased resources and power each side can continue to expand its economy and military. As each side does this, however, the chance for conflict increases. As conflict increases the chance for species and habitat loss becomes greater. An outside factor, US intervention, also effects the cycle. While it hurts the Iranian military and helps the UAE and Oman it increases the chance for conflict. This also affects the likelihood that species and habitats will be effected. 13. Level of Strategic Interest: Multilateral 14. Outcome of Dispute: Yield Currently none of the critical issues has been dealt with adequately. Regional disputes, such as the island dispute between the UAE and Iran, while under negotiation still exist. Alternate routes of transporting oil out of this region, via Saudi Arabia have been proposed, but so far none have been acted on.

International tension, especially between the US and Iran have yet to subside and normalization of relations is not a sort term prospect. In the near term, at least for the next twenty years, the possibility of conflict remains. THE PERSIAN GULF STRAIT OF HORMUZ Location map of the Persian Gulf between Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran ISIS WAR PERSIAN GULF CASUALTY The U.S.-led attack on the Islamic State group claimed its first American life Thursday when a search and rescue operation was called off for a U.S. Marine who went missing in the Persian Gulf after his aircraft suffered technical problems, the U.S. Navy said. The statement was reported by BNO News as well as Central Command. The Marine airman, whose identity was not immediately released, was among four people aboard a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey aircraft that took off from the USS Makin Island on Wednesday afternoon (local time) before suffering a loss of power. Two of the crew members bailed out of the aircraft when it appeared it was about to crash into the ocean.

The pilot of the Osprey was eventually able to regain control of the aircraft and managed to land safely aboard the USS Makin Island, and then a search and rescue was launched. One of the two who exited the aircraft was pulled out of the water and taken back to the amphibious assault ship, where he was reported in a stable condition. ï¿½U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel conducted an extensive search of the area using all available assets, which continued throughout the night and the next day,ï¿½ U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said in a statement. It said the search in the North Persian Gulf was called off at 1500 GMT (11 a.m. EDT) Thursday after efforts to locate the missing man were unsuccessful. The U.S. Navy said the Osprey aircraft was participating in flight operations in support of a U.S.-led air campaign against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Wednesdayï¿½s casualty makes him the first coalition service member to die during operations in support of the military campaign against ISIS. THE PERSIAN GULF The Persian Gulf is located in Western Asia between Iran to the northeast and the Arabian Peninsula to the southwest.

The Persian Gulf is an extension of the Indian Ocean (Gulf of Oman) through the Strait of Hormuz. The Shatt al-Arab river delta forms the northwest shoreline. The Gulf was a battlefield of the 1980ï¿½1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers. It is the namesake of the 1991 Gulf War, the largely air- and land-based conflict that followed Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. The Persian Gulf has many fishing grounds, extensive coral reefs, and abundant pearl oysters, but its ecology has been damaged by industrialization and oil spills. The body of water is historically and internationally known as the "Persian Gulf". Some Arab governments refer to it as the "Arabian Gulf" or "The Gulf", but neither term is recognized internationally. The name "Gulf of Iran (Persian Gulf)" is used by the International Hydrographic Organization.

Satellite picture of the Persian Gulf GEOGRAPHY This inland sea of some 251,000 square kilometres (96,912 sq mi) is connected to the Gulf of Oman in the east by the Strait of Hormuz; and its western end is marked by the major river delta of the Shatt al-Arab, which carries the waters of the Euphrates and the Tigris. Its length is 989 kilometres (615 miles), with Iran covering most of the northern coast and Saudi Arabia most of the southern coast. The Persian Gulf is about 56 km (35 mi) wide at its narrowest, in the Strait of Hormuz. The waters are overall very shallow, with a maximum depth of 90 metres (295 feet) and an average depth of 50 metres (164 feet). Countries with a coastline on the Persian Gulf are (clockwise, from the north): Iran, Oman (exclave of Musandam), United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar on a peninsula off the Saudi coast, Bahrain on an island, Kuwait and Iraq in the northwest.

Various small islands lie within the Persian Gulf, some of which are the subject of territorial disputes between the states of the region. In 2012 the UN increased banking and energy sanctions, and Iran has responded with threats to mine the Strait of Hormuz and choke off a fifth of the world's oil supply. In reply the US Navy announced that it will ensure that the Strait remains open by any means necessaryï¿½including blowing up Iran's mines with smaller, American drone mines like the SeaFox. Built by Altas Elektrik, a conglomeration of ThyssenKrupp (the coffee maker guys) and EADS (a major aerospace contractror), the SeaFox is a semi-autonomous, single-serving UAV mine hunter. It measures roughly four feet long and weighs just 88 pounds, including the large shaped charge attached to its nose, with a range of 3200 feet and top speed of six knots. After an Avenger sweeps the Strait for potential subsurface mines, the ship's crew can simply toss a SeaFox overboard. The submersible's integrated homing sonar will autonomously guide the UAV back to the underwater objects the Avenger found for further investigation.

When the SeaFox approaches one of these objects, it's on-board CCTV feeds live images back to the human controller via a fiber optic line. If the object turns out to be a mine, the SeaFox (at its operator's behest) will ram the mine, detonate its explosive charge and destroy both the mine and the $100,000 submersible itself. "In the Cold War, minesweeping warfare was a large part of what the Navy did, but we have lost a lot of our minesweeping capability," said Harmer, a senior analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, told KTLA. "The SeaFox is a relatively simple, off-the-shelf system that we can put off our minesweepers but also any surface ship." The US Navy reportedly purchased a large number of SeaFoxes between February and May of this year at the urging of Marine Gen. James Mattis, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East and has already deployed them to the Persian Gulf region, along with four MH-53 Sea Dragon helicoptersï¿½which can deploy the SeaFox as wellï¿½and four additional Avenger-class mine sweepers.

Pentagon officials estimate if Iran was foolish enough to try and close the Strait of Hormuz using its estimated arsenal of 2,000 mines, the US Navy and allied nations would be able to clear it in five to ten days. That's just long enough to likely cause massive spikes in worldwide oil prices, disrupt global shipping traffic, and would be tantamount to a declaration of war. "If they wanted to close the Strait of Hormuz, they could do it, but they would only be able to do it one time," Christopher Harmer, a retired Navy commander who served as director of future operations at U.S. 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, told KTLA. The Knifefish is an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) under development by General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems and Bluefin Robotics for the United States Navy. It is a propeller-driven minesweeping robot designed to replace the Navy's trained dolphins and sea lions after the retirement of the 50-year-old Marine Mammal Program in 2017.

The Knifefish was first unveiled at a Navy exposition in April 2012, and is intended to operate in concert with the Navy's littoral combat ships (LCS) as part of a specialised counter-mine system. The Navy plans to begin sea trials of the Knifefish in 2015, and to enter it into active service in 2017. By December 2012, the Navy had ordered eight Knifefish units, at a total cost of US$20 million. They are scheduled to begin sea trials in 2015, and to enter into active service in 2017, coincident with the end of the Marine Mammal Program. In April 2013, General Dynamics completed its critical design review of the Knifefish, and began developing software and hardware for the operational version of the robot. DESIGN - The robot is a derivative of the Bluefin-21, a civilian UUV designed by the Quincy, Massachusetts-based company Bluefin Robotics.

In 2014, the Bluefin-21 gained widespread recognition after it was deployed by international rescue organisations to search the seafloor of the Indian Ocean for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. The Knifefish is a torpedo-shaped robot 19 feet (5.8 m) in length and 21 inches (0.53 m) in diameter, with an operational weight of 1,700 pounds (770 kg). It is powered by a lithium-ion battery, which allows it to operate for up to 16 hours on pre-programmed search missions. It uses onboard synthetic aperture sonar to detect floating or buried naval mines, and can identify a wide variety of mines and mine-like objects using an onboard database and analytical computer. Detected mines will then be marked and their locations recorded in the Knifefish's database; the robot will later upload the data to its parent LCS, which will destroy the mines. The Knifefish may be modified to transmit its data in real-time, if the Navy considers such a capability necessary after the robot's sea trials.

Each LCS will be capable of operating two Knifefish UUVs, which will scan the seabed near the ship and reduce the risk of mine damage to the LCS itself. COLD WAR NAVAL MINE CLEARANCE According to 2013 estimates, roughly 17 million barrels of oil pass through the Straight of Hormuz between Oman and Iran each day. When Iran threatened to close it down in 2012, Pentagon officials determined that the estimated arsenal of 2,000 undersea mines could be cleared in about a week. In this case, a German-made drone known as the Seafox would be tasked for the job. The 4-foot (1.2m), 100-pound (45kg) Seafox is semiautonomous but relies upon a fiber optic tether for communications. It ï¿½diffusesï¿½ mines after identifying them by triggering an explosive self-destruct sequence that effectively ends its own tour of duty. At $100,000 a pop, other solutions to keep the routes of commerce safe and open are needed.

Previously, the US Navy used trained dolphins to locate mines The Navy has now set its sights on the Knifefish, named for the freshwater fish that images objects using electric fields. At 19 feet (5.8m) and 1700 pounds (770kg), the torpedo -shaped drone is much larger than the Seafox and will greatly extend its capabilities. It is powered by lithium-ion batteries and can remain active for up to 16 hours, giving it a much longer range. It also uses a low-frequency synthetic aperture sonar that can penetrate beneath a soft sea floor. The Knifefish will be able to tell actual mines from other submerged debris with better accuracy. Mines will be able to be fingerprinted in real time by using resonance patterns obtained during imaging and comparing them to known signatures. Eight units will be jointly built by General Dynamics and Bluefin Robotics , at a total cost of $20 million. Naval divers will still carry out many mine clearing operations themselves, but drones will reduce dive frequency and associated risk. The deployment of Knifefish, and their larger intended successors, raises a few strategical issues and hints to the need for greater cooperative efforts between nations.

Not yet able to destroy mines directly, the Knifefish will initially map and image mines, and send the data elsewhere. Tankers or cruise ships that can afford extra assurance, or insurance as the case may be, might use a Knifefish-like shepherd when navigating critical waterways. At some point however, with many vessels sweeping and reporting the same threat concerns, someone has to take responsibility to go and eliminate them. The question of whose job this becomes is reflective of a similar drama soon to be played out in space with the looming problem of orbital debris. Other maritime roles of the Knifefish could include routine patrol of pipelines or offshore oil and mineral fields. Recent proposed budget cuts to the Navy and Pentagon may have the effect of shifting responsibility to corporate ventures for protecting less strategic installations such as wind parks or private telecommunications links, however. While undersea drones lack the navigational flexibility and sonar virtuosity of their mammalian brethren, designers are quickly learning to incorporate their tricks. With enough drones mapping the oceans, the other final frontier is destined to become much more familiar, and a little safer.

Hormuz | Define Hormuz at Dictionary.com Hormuz [hawr-mooz, hawr-muhz] /hɔrˈmuz, ˈhɔr mʌz/ Spell noun 1. Strait of, a strait between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Expand Examples from the Web for Hormuz Expand Contemporary Examples They could agree to procedures in the Straits of Hormuz to prevent incidents from escalating. The Lusiad Lus de Cames It dropped to the ground, and looking up, Hormuz saw that the stranger had vanished. British Dictionary definitions for Hormuz Expand noun 1. an island off the SE coast of Iran, in the Strait of Hormuz: ruins of the ancient city of Hormuz, a major trading centre in the Middle Ages. Area: about 41 sq km (16 sq miles) Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.

1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Map of Persian Gulf - Persian Gulf Map, Location Facts, Persian Gulf History - World Atlas other bodies of water The Persian Gulf is an extension of the Arabian Sea, positioned in the heart of the Middle East. It connects with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea through the Strait of Hormuz, and it's approximately 615 mi (990 km) long. The Persian Gulf is certainly one of the most vital bodies of water on the planet, as gas and oil from Middle Eastern countries flow through it, supplying much of the world's energy needs. Over many centuries the Persian Gulf has been a flash point for controversy. In 1990, after Iraq invaded Kuwait, an international coalition led by the United States drove Iraq out, but as they left Iraq's military set fire to hundreds of Kuwati oil fields, causing a major environmental disaster in the area.

In 2003, tension in the gulf increased again as U.S. and British forces invaded Iraq, and powerful naval forces from both countries remain in its waters, mostly to protect the flow of oil. About the Persian/Arabian Gulf | Hormuz Events About the Persian/Arabian Gulf The Persian Gulf is the body of water bordering Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Oman. The Gulf covers area of approximately 87,000 square miles, with a maximum depth of about 330 feet and an average depth of about 115 feet.[i] The only maritime outlet from the Persian Gulf into the Gulf of Oman, the Indian Ocean, and the rest of the world is through a narrow chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz . Source: The University of Texas, PCL Collection Caption: Map showing the region surrounding the Strait of Hormuz The Persian Gulf region produces nearly one third of the world's oil and holds over half of the world's crude oil reserves as well as a significant portion of the world's natural gas reserves.

Oil and natural gas from the Persian Gulf are exported to consumers everywhere, especially to Asia, Western Europe, and the United States. The region has historically been known as the Persian Gulf, named after the Persian Empire (present-day Iran). Since the 1960s, rivalry between Persians and Arabs, along with the growth of Arab nationalism and evolving Western political and economic interests, has prompted an increasing use of the term "Arabian Gulf" when referring to the region's body of water. This website uses the term Persian Gulf with no political significance intended. [i] Colbert C. Held, Middle East Patterns: Places, People, and Politics (Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 2000), p. 47. This page last modified in August 2008 Iran and the Threat to "Close" the Gulf | Center for Strategic and International Studies Iran and the Threat to "Close" the Gulf Update December 30 December 30, 2011 There is nothing new about Iran’s threat to close the Gulf, but it does need to be put in context.

Iran is reshaping its military forces to steadily increase the threat to Gulf shipping and shipping in the Gulf of Oman, It also is gradually increasing its ability to operate in the Indian Ocean. This increase in Iranian capability is almost certainly not designed to take the form of a major war with the US and Southern Gulf states, which could result from any Iranian effort to truly close the Gulf. It does, however, give Iran the ability to carry out a wide range of much lower level attacks which could sharply raise the risk to Gulf shipping, and either reduce tanker traffic and shipping or sharply raise the insurance cost of such ship movements and put a different kind of pressure on the other Gulf states and world oil prices. Any such Iranian actions do not have to be tied in any way to predictable attacks at or near the Strait of Hormuz. They could occur anywhere in the Gulf and in the Gulf of Oman. Iran cou\ deny many such forms of attack, claim rogue operations or that they were provoked by US or other Gulf country actions, or keep the level of such attacks so low that it would be difficult to respond with high levels of force and Iran could keep exporting its own oil.

Moreover, Iran’s growing long-range missile forces, and movement towards a nuclear weapons capability will give it an increasing capability to compensate for its aging and low capability regular naval and air forces with a far more threatening level of deterrence. It is also important to note that the current flow of oil and gas exports through the Gulf is critical to the global economy, as well as that of a US that must pay rising world oil prices in a crisis. The US Department of Energy projects that this global strategic dependence on the secure and steady flow of Gulf energy exports will increase steadily through 2035 – as far in the future as the Department makes projections. Equally important, the same US Department of Energy projections make it clear that the US will not achieve any meaningful improvement in energy independence through 2025, although it will make limited reductions in total imports and increases its own conventional and unconventional liquids production. These issues are analyzed in depth in a new analysis entitled Iran and the Threat to “Close” the Gulf that can be accessed by visiting This analysis is based on data that were updated in a new analysis by the Energy Information Agency of the Department of Energy issued on December 30.

It does not alter nay of the conclusions or military data in the CSIS brief, but does provide more current statistics on the energy traffic in key chokepoints: Strait of Hormuz In 2011, total world oil production amounted to approximately 88 million barrels per day (bbl/d), and over one-half was moved by tankers on fixed maritime routes. By volume of oil transit, the Strait of Hormuz leading out of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Malacca linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans are two of the world's most strategic chokepoints. The international energy market is dependent upon reliable transport. The blockage of a chokepoint, even temporarily, can lead to substantial increases in total energy costs. In addition, chokepoints leave oil tankers vulnerable to theft from pirates, terrorist attacks, and political unrest in the form of wars or hostilities as well as shipping accidents which can lead to disastrous oil spills. n average, 14 crude oil tankers per day passed through the Strait in 2011, with a corresponding amount of empty tankers entering to pick up new cargos.

More than 85 percent of these crude oil exports went to Asian markets, with Japan, India, South Korea, and China representing the largest destinations. At its narrowest point, the Strait is 21 miles wide, but the width of the shipping lane in either direction is only two miles, separated by a two-mile buffer zone. The Strait is deep and wide enough to handle the world's largest crude oil tankers, with about two-thirds of oil shipments carried by tankers in excess of 150,000 deadweight tons. Closure of the Strait of Hormuz would require the use of longer alternate routes at increased transportation costs. Alternate routes include the 745 mile long Petroline, also known as the East-West Pipeline, across Saudi Arabia from Abqaiq to the Red Sea. The East-West Pipeline has a nameplate capacity of about 5 million bbl/d. The Abqaiq-Yanbu natural gas liquids pipeline, which runs parallel to the Petroline to the Red Sea, has a 290,000-bbl/d capacity.

Additional oil could also be pumped north via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline to the port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean Sea, but volumes have been limited by the closure of the Strategic pipeline linking north and south Iraq. The United Arab Emirates is also completing the 1.5 million bbl/d Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline pipeline that will cross the emirate of Abu Dhabi and end at the port of Fujairah just south of the Strait. Other alternate routes could include the deactivated 1.65-million bbl/d Iraqi Pipeline across Saudi Arabia (IPSA), and the deactivated 0.5 million-bbl/d Tapline to Lebanon. Bab el-Mandab Closure of the Bab el-Mandab could keep tankers from the Persian Gulf from reaching the Suez Canal/Sumed pipeline complex, diverting them around the southern tip of Africa. The Strait of Bab el-Mandab is a chokepoint between the horn of Africa and the Middle East, and a strategic link between the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. It is located between Yemen , Djibouti , and Eritrea , and connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.

Most exports from the Persian Gulf that transit the Suez Canal and SUMED pipeline also pass through the Bab el-Mandab. An estimated 3.2 million bbl/d flowed through this waterway in 2009 (vs. 4 million bbl/d in 2008) toward Europe, the United States, and Asia. The majority of traffic, about 1.8 million bbl/d, moved northbound through the Bab el-Mandab en route to the Suez/SUMED complex. The Bab el-Mandab is 18 miles wide at its narrowest point, making tanker traffic difficult and limited to two 2-mile-wide channels for inbound and outbound shipments. Closure of the Strait could keep tankers from the Persian Gulf from reaching the Suez Canal or Sumed Pipeline , diverting them around the southern tip of Africa. This would effectively engage spare tanker capacity, and add to transit time and cost. The Strait of Bab el-Mandab could be bypassed via the East-West oil pipeline, which crosses Saudi Arabia with a nameplate capacity of 4.8 million bbl/d. However, southbound oil traffic would still be blocked.

In addition, closure of the Bab el-Mandab would block non-oil shipping from using the Suez Canal , except for limited trade within the Red Sea region. Security became a concern of foreign firms doing business in the region, after a French tanker was attacked off the coast of Yemen by terrorists in October 2002. In recent years, this region has also seen rising piracy, and Somali pirates continue to attack vessels off the northern Somali coast in the Gulf of Aden and southern Red Sea including the Bab el-Mandab. Suez Canal The Suez Canal is located in Egypt , and connects the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez with the Mediterranean Sea, spanning 120 miles. Year-to-date through November of 2010, petroleum (both crude oil and refined products) as well as liquefied natural gas (LNG) accounted for 13 and 11 percent of Suez cargos, measured by cargo tonnage, respectively. Total petroleum transit volume was close to 2 million bbl/d, or just below five percent of seaborne oil trade in 2010.

Almost 16,500 ships transited the Suez Canal from January through November of 2010, of which about 20 percent were petroleum tankers and 5 percent were LNG tankers. With only 1,000 feet at its narrowest point, the Canal is unable to handle the VLCC (Very Large Crude Carriers) and ULCC (Ultra Large Crude Carriers) class crude oil tankers. The Suez Canal Authority is continuing enhancement and enlargement projects on the canal, and extended the depth to 66 ft in 2010 to allow over 60 percent of all tankers to use the Canal. Closure of the Suez Canal and the SUMED Pipeline would divert oil tankers around the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, adding approximately 6,000 miles to transit, increasing both costs and shipping time. According to a report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA), shipping around Africa would add 15 days of transit to Europe and 8-10 days to the United States.

SUMED Pipeline The 200-mile long SUMED Pipeline, or Suez-Mediterranean Pipeline provides an alternative to the Suez Canal for those cargos too large to transit the Canal (laden VLCC's and larger). The pipeline has a capacity of 2.3 million bbl/d and flows north from Ain Sukhna, on the Red Sea coast to Sidi Kerir on the Mediterranean. The SUMED is owned by Arab Petroleum Pipeline Co., a joint venture between the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi's National Oil Company (ADNOC), and Kuwaiti companies. Crude Oil The majority of crude oil flows transiting the Canal travel northbound, towards markets in the Mediterranean and North America. Northbound canal flows averaged approximately 428,000 bbl/d in 2010. The SUMED pipeline accounted for 1.15 million bbl/d of crude oil flows along the route over the same period. Combined, these two transit points were responsible for over 1.5 million bbl/d of crude oil flows into the Mediterranean, with an additional 307,000 bbl/d travelling southbound through the Canal.

Northbound crude transit represented a decline from 2008 when 940,000 bbl/d of oil transited northbound through the Canal and an additional 2.1 million travelled through the SUMED to the Mediterranean. Total Oil and Products Total oil flows from the Suez Canal declined from 2008 levels of over 2.4 million bbl/d in 2008 to just under 2 million bbl/d on average in 2010. Flows through the SUMED experienced a much steeper drop from approximately 2.1 million bbl/d to 1.1 million bbl/d over the same period. The year-on-year difference reflects the collapse in world oil market demand that began in the fourth quarter of 2008 which was then followed by OPEC production cuts (primarily from the Persian Gulf) causing a sharp fall in regional oil trade starting in January 2009. Drops in transit also illustrate the changing dynamics of international oil markets where Asian demand is increasing at a higher rate than European and American markets, while West African crude production is meeting a greater share of the latter's demand.

At the same time, piracy and security concerns around the Horn of Africa have led some exporters to travel the extra distance around South Africa to reach western markets. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Unlike oil, LNG transit through the Suez Canal has been on the rise since 2008, with the number of tankers increasing from approximately 430 to 760, and volumes of LNG traveling northbound (laden tankers) increasing more than four-fold. Southbound LNG transit originates in Algeria and Egypt, destined for Asian markets while northbound transit is mostly from Qatar and Oman, destined for European and North American markets. The rapid growth in LNG flows over the period represents the startup of five LNG trains in Qatar in 2009-2010. The only alternate route for LNG tankers would be around Africa as there is no pipeline infrastructure to offset any Suez Canal disruptions. Countries such as the United Kingdom and Italy received more than half of their total LNG imports via the Suez Canal in 2009 while over 90 percent of Belgium's LNG imports transited through the canal. Downloads

Question: The Straits of Hormuz connect the Persian Gulf and which other Gulf?
Answer: Gulf of Oman